SUMMARY
- Jayson Tatum earned his third straight All-NBA first team selection.
- He believes Jaylen Brown should've been given an All-NBA selection as well.
Jayson Tatum is certainly the centerpiece of the Boston Celtics organization that’s been having a spectacular season so far. After topping the Eastern Conference charts with a dominant 64-18 record, while no other team has achieved more than 60 wins, the Celtics are currently the frontrunners to capture NBA gold. Based on his work this year, Tatum was honored with an All-NBA First Team selection, a group that consists of the top five players in the league.
He said. “It’s special. It’s something I strive to do that I expect. But it’s nothing I take for granted. It’s an honor to be on First Team All-NBA. You know, [there are] so many talented guys in this league. You know, talent just gets better and better each and every year.” The 26-year-old secured his third straight First Team selection this year averaging 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and a steal.
“I’m thankful for everybody that’s helped me along the way. Success is not something that you can achieve by yourself,” he added. Jayson and the Celtics are currently in the Eastern Conference Finals fighting alongside the Indiana Pacers. This might be their easiest shot at the title, considering that neither of the other three teams left in the post-season has as much playoff experience as the Celtics.
Jayson Tatum highlights Jaylen Brown being snubbed from All-NBA selections
This year’s All-NBA team selections featured a select group of individuals who are certainly deserving of a roster spot. However, some believe that Jaylen Brown should’ve been given more credit than what he’s currently receiving. Brown did not get enough votes to qualify for an All-NBA team as he ranked 16th in the voting.
All-NBA snub Jaylen Brown is a MONSTER.
— CelticsUnite (@CelticsUnite18) May 24, 2024
Jayson Tatum addressed the atmosphere around his teammate saying, “No, we didn’t talk about that. During shoot around we just focused on winning the game tonight. We all felt like internally that he should have made one of those All-NBA teams. So, it was a shame to see that he didn’t.” Brown came back strong in Game 2 finishing with a team-high 40 points to lead the Celtics to a win.
Jayson Tatum topped one of Larry Bird’s career milestones during Game 2
Despite all the criticism Jayson Tatum has been receiving about his performance in the playoffs this year, it is important to know that each team has its own game plan to follow. Tatum, even though he’s known for being an elite scorer has only been averaging 25.4 points per game in the playoffs. But he has been given roles this season from playing the fourth to fifth position at times.
Most playoff points through 7 seasons in the *history of the NBA* (not just Celtics)
1. Jayson Tatum (2538) 🍀
2. Larry Bird (2520) 🍀
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3. Michael Jordan (2425)Jayson Tatum is an ALL TIME GREAT! 😤 pic.twitter.com/ED0HSbTx1J
— Sports Talk Drew 🍀 (@SportsTalkDrew) May 24, 2024
However, he made history after surpassing Larry Bird for most points scored in seven playoff appearances. Earlier in the post-season, Tatum had already passed Michael Jordan for second place. Either way, Tatum’s role on this team irrespective of the numbers he’s been averaging is going to be very crucial.